


things that aren't broken

by laireshi



Category: Marvel 616, X-Factor (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Dubious Consent, Earth-TRN193, M/M, X-Factor #231
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 10:59:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3117677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laireshi/pseuds/laireshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You know,” Tony says conversationally, never taking off the armour, “there are worlds where she said, <i>no more mutants</i>.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	things that aren't broken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [malfaisant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/malfaisant/gifts).



> Thanks to [Comicsohwhyohwhy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Comicsohwhyohwhy) for betaing :)
> 
> (X-Factor #231: the issue with pretty old [sad alcoholic Tony](http://41.media.tumblr.com/095a6e6917e219108820cef26b901c32/tumblr_mhnr9ehax11s1k3pao6_250.png), and not so pretty [evil cyborg Steve](http://36.media.tumblr.com/cb3be45741596e0a201828aa6a1debc5/tumblr_ngano910cY1qhpx4lo1_500.jpg))

Tony tenses as soon as he enters his lab.

There's something wrong there, but he knows his defences, no one should be able to—

 _No one,_ huh.

Steve leans against the wall. He's all bloody. He's sitting like his bones are broken. The implants in his face crack with electricity.

“You know,” Tony says conversationally, never taking off the armour, “there are worlds where she said, _no more mutants_.”

“Point, Stark?” Steve growls.

“I could bring us one person closer to that,” Tony notices quietly. His armour scans Steve. He's in no condition to fight.

“ _No more humans_ , Tony,” Steve grits out. He looks like he's in pain. Tony's not sure if he cares. “I could've killed you.”

“Why didn't you?”

Steve is silent.

Tony wishes he could still trust him enough to take off the armour. As it is, he walks to Steve and kneels next to him. He takes a close look at the mess of tech in his face. “You can't see with this eye,” he states.

“I wouldn't have noticed,” Steve snaps.

If Tony looks at him from the side, if he just squints enough, he almost looks like the old Steve.

The real Steve.

 _Tony's_ Steve.

He shakes his head. There's no place for thoughts like these in this new world.

It's been years, and he still thinks it's new; some futurist he is.

“Can you get up?” he asks. Steve's legs look better, and the armour in them is reinforced with vibranium, but if something got him in that bad a shape . . .

Steve raises himself slowly.

“Okay, good, walk there.” Tony gestures at where he works on his armour.

Most of Steve's body is Tony's tech, these days.

Tony needs a drink. He flips up his faceplate and goes to where a bottle of whiskey stands next to a wall of computer screens. The tech is outdated, but he rarely has time for updates now. And it's not like the world is waiting for a new Stark microprocessor.

(The world is waiting for extinction; Tony should give up and accept that already.)

Steve walks steadily; Tony thinks most of the blood isn't actually his. Or maybe the flesh part of him has already healed and he just needs a mechanic.

Tony has wondered if injuries make Steve more human, or if he's pretending to make Tony help him. That would be so stupid of him; as if Tony has ever learnt to refuse.

There's hope, as long as he's alive, right? To fix it all?

Tony should've abandoned it already.

Steve settles on a workbench, silently. Tony switches the scanners on.

The results are . . . weird. Not what he expected. He _built_ that armour, he should know every single wire, but . . .

Magic, of course, he realises. He takes another sip.

“I'd like you sober for that,” Steve says.

“I could do that asleep,” Tony says. “Or do you _care_?” 

The red light that's Steve's left eye shines ominously for a second. “Told you that's broken,” Tony says. He looks at the scanners again. The joints in Steve's left arm are broken. The shield in his right is a mess. His face is the worst.

Tony had better get to work. No reason to make this last any longer than it's necessary.

“Lie down,” he says.

He'll fix him up, and then Steve will disappear from his life again.

Just like it should be, these days.

Steve closes his eye. Tony would like to believe that it's a sign of trust, but he knows Steve's got as many scanners hidden in his mechanic body as Tony in the armour.

Tony stands near him and takes a deep breath.

It's not like he's doing it for the first time.

He put Steve in this new, mechanical body, for fuck's sake.

The least he can do is fix it for him . . . Even if Steve in his right mind wants to kill him now.

Sometimes Tony wishes Wanda's spell had reached him too.

“Now relax, _darling_ ,” he says and ignores Steve cursing at him.

***

He drinks another glass down when he's almost finished.

Behind him, Steve is testing his new limbs.

The hard part will come now.

Just another sip, and—

“Sit back down,” Tony says.

Steve raises one arm and aims at him. “Why should I?” he asks.

“Can you actually aim at me?” Tony mocks. He hasn't touched Steve's face yet.

“I don't need your tech—”

“Don't you,” Tony says mildly. He sets the glass down and is on Steve in a second, pressing him down. He knows Steve hasn't noticed him moving. Scanners or no, half of his vision doesn't work, too much to let him react effectively. Tony presses him to the table, repulsor in his gauntlet pressed to his arm, and Steve is looking back with one blue eye.

He doesn't look afraid.

Tony wants to laugh at himself. “Now stay here,” he says. He strips off one gauntlet. He'll need finer motor control than the gauntlet offers him.

He takes out a set of tiny tools, and leans over Steve's face.

They haven't been this close for years. Tony wants to close his eyes and inhale Steve's scent, but it's only metal and blood now. 

He briefly touches Steve's cheek, the human one, before focusing on his implant.

***

His hands aren't shaking, he tells himself, as he moves away from Steve. 

Steve sits up, and Tony doesn't stop him this time. He's fixed. As fixed as he'll ever be. When he leaves, they'll be enemies again.

Tony already wishes he hadn't helped him. That he hadn't done it so fast. 

He should kill him and stop hoping, but he knows what they say about hope.

Steve jumps down from the table. His limbs swirl as he tries them. He doesn't use his weapons.

“Good, for a human,” he says.

“I'm special like that,” Tony quips, and then just looks at Steve.

He wishes he could see his friend in him. That he could stop doing so.

“Do you want me to _thank you_?” Steve drawls.

“Just go,” Tony says. It's dangerously close to pleading. He can't look at him any longer and think of what they used to be.

“Really?”

Steve steps up to him. His weapons systems aren't on. Tony's faceplate is still up, and Steve puts his thumb on Tony's cheek.

Tony wonders if he's going to pluck his eye out, but instead Steve leans down and presses a harsh kiss to his mouth.

Tony wishes he didn't want this. Half of Steve's face is cold metal, and Tony _doesn't care_.

Steve strips him of the armour in a few efficient movements. For a few moments, Tony's worried—but no, if Steve wanted to kill him now, he wouldn't need him naked as well.

Tony should stop him. Tony should've redesigned it so Steve wouldn't still know how to do it.

Tony stays leant against the wall, and just shivers.

“It was always about this, wasn't it,” Steve says, and then one of his cold, mechanical hands is on Tony's cock.

Tony shakes his head.

“Don't lie, Stark,” Steve says. “Let's make it the test round.”

He goes on his knees. He's stronger than Tony now, of course he is, but they are in Tony's workshop. He could call any weapon to him, and he doesn't.

Steve swallows him whole, and Tony arches up. He can feel the metal of Steve's face on the side of his cock now. It shouldn't be arousing.

He closes his eyes and pretends it's just Steve, like he was ages ago, blue-eyed and smiling and innocent, way too stubborn and _human_.

This Steve is nothing like him. He's rough and uncaring and cold, and he flips his tongue efficiently, and Tony wishes he had willpower enough to stop him. 

It's over almost too soon, and he hates himself for thinking that.

He slides down the wall, and looks up at Steve. The grimace on his face might be a mocking smile.

“See you later, Tony,” he says.

 _Don't come back_ , Tony doesn't say. 


End file.
